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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. march — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wake — a trail
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — a committee
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — to get on
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com